


Unexpected Discovery

by A Magiluna Stormwriter (ariestess)



Series: #666foryou [127]
Category: Damien (TV)
Genre: Canonical Character Death, Gen, Post-Series
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-12
Updated: 2016-07-12
Packaged: 2018-07-23 18:02:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,185
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7474299
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ariestess/pseuds/A%20Magiluna%20Stormwriter
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"I was incorrect in my assumptions of you," she says as she kneels next to the grave.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Unexpected Discovery

**Author's Note:**

> Date Written: 12 July 2016  
> Word Count: 1185  
> Prompt: 39. things you said when we first met  
> Summary: "I was incorrect in my assumptions of you," she says as she kneels next to the grave.  
> Spoilers: Post-series, nebulously set about two weeks after the events of episode 01x10 "Ave Satani." Beyond that, everything we learned in these 10 episodes is up for grabs.  
> Warnings: No standard warnings apply.  
> Series: #666foryou  
> Series: Unfinished Business  
> Website: ShatterStorm Productions – Doggie Duo  
> Link to: http://bdkk.shatterstorm.net/  
> Archive: ShatterStorm Productions & AO3 only…all others ask for permission & we'll see…  
> Feedback: Constructive criticism is always welcome.
> 
> Author’s Disclaimer: "Damien," "The Omen," the characters, and situations depicted are the property of Glen Mazarra, David Seltzer, 20th Century Fox Television, Fox 21, and A&E Television Networks. This piece of fan fiction was created for entertainment not monetary purposes. Previously unrecognized characters and places, and this story, are copyrighted to the author. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author. This site is in no way affiliated with "Damien," "The Omen," A&E, or any representatives of the actors.
> 
> Author’s Notes: Yeah, this is something that I've been debating over since I first saw the "Ave Satani" episode with that hand popping up out of the ground. In previous stories in this series, I've kind of played with the idea of just not dealing with whose hand it was or that it even happened. That's changed tonight. I've kind of dealt with it, but not entirely. Expect more along these lines…
> 
> Dedication: This is part of a series of stories to thank the phenomenal creative team of _Damien_ , both in front of and behind the camera.
> 
> Beta: theonlyspl

"I was incorrect in my assumptions of you," she says as she kneels next to the grave.

Grass has only just begun to sprout in the dirt; likely it's simply due to seed that was strewn in the area before the nun had dug the grave to torture the Deliverer. Any sod that's been laid out has died within forty-eight hours. If only the nun had had the sense to realize what she was doing. Ann would have gladly helped her, had she known it would bring about the beginning of his transformation.

But that's not why she's here today.

"You were a good friend to Damien, loyal and protective. I mocked that when we first met. I shouldn't have, and I apologize for that. I thought you would be a hindrance to him and his ascension, but it was your death that put him on the first step toward his destiny. Your death facilitated the death of the serpent in the grass. Your loyalty must have been at least partially responsible for Simone's attempt to protect Damien from that bullet. Her apparent death broke him, did you know that? She was his last link to the goodness, the humanity in himself. If she hadn't died, I don't think he'd be where he is now."

She sets a single lily on the grave, roughly where she remembers his body having fallen in. She studies the earth a moment or two more, then moves to stand up. As she does, brushing the debris from her slacks, she finally notices the disturbances in the dirt along some of the edges of the grave. And then she realizes that the grass shoots are only coming up on one half.

Curiously, she follows the now obvious muddy tracks toward the trees. There's a slight hesitation to enter the woods again, given what she'd found the last time she was in them, but she's curious about this trail before her. In the detritus of the forest floor, the droplets of blood are more obvious. They're easier to track than the dirt, which tends to blend in far too easily. After about ten minutes, she stops in front of a strange little hovel. It looks to be formed of roots and vines, some of which have more leaves on them than should be possible.

"Hello?" she calls out softly, cursing internally that she has nothing with which to defend herself. "Is someone there?"

Just as she's about to retrieve her cell phone to call Captain Dislo for a sweep of the area, she hears movement from behind herself. Adrenaline races through her as she turns to see…

"What?" she asks, blinking in confusion. "How in the hell are you even here?"

"Surprise! Bet you never thought you'd see me again, did you?"

"You're supposed to be dead. There is no way that you could have survived a point blank shot to the stomach like you did."

He shrugs and moves closer. She notices that he's favoring his right leg, and his clothes are smeared in dirt and blood. In fact, he is filthy from head to toe, but doesn't seem to care. She takes a step back unconsciously.

"Do I scare you, Ann? You afraid of karma coming back to kick you in the ass?" He steps past her to drop a couple of rabbits next to what she can see are the remnants of a small fire pit. He rummages in the hovel for a moment, bringing out a couple of sharpened sticks and an oddly shaped rock. Settling next to the rabbits, he begins to clean and strip them. "You're free to join us for dinner."

"U-Us?" She winces internally at the crack in her voice. For a brief second, hope flairs in her chest that Veronica is with him, but she remembers Captain Dislo and his men carefully cutting and disentangling the vines from her body, as well as the funeral and interment. "Who is here with you?"

"She's out foraging for plants and berries, and filling the canteens. Thanks for those, by the way. I don't know which of your men dropped them, but they've been a tremendous help."

"What in the hell are you talking about? Who is here with you?"

"Sister Greta, of course. Apparently, God saved us. Or, more likely, it was the connections we'd both forged with Damien that saved us. I'm not really sure, and she doesn't want to consider anything other than God saving her, so we kind of don't talk about it much. You understand."

"But--"

"So how is he doing? You totally fuck him up yet or is he still my best friend?" He laughs when she blinks owlishly at him, the sound a bit hoarse. "You're pretty quiet there, Rutledge. You're not gonna faint on me, are you? I mean, I wouldn't want you to hit your head or impale yourself on one of these sharp sticks lying around in the forest."

"H--" She clears her throat and tries again. "How long have you been out here? Why haven't you tried to contact any of us?"

"Any of _us_? What us? You and Lyons? You two have so much fucking blood on your hands, it's not even funny. You left us for dead. Yeah, like we're gonna come anywhere near you."

"Damien then?"

"We've been healing. Gut wounds are a bitch to recover from without benefit of medicine and a clean living space. Damien fucked up the sister pretty badly and your buddy's bullet did a number on me. Thankfully, whatever higher power saved us seems to think we need to be alive, so we're slowly making do here."

"John Lyons is dead." Without realizing she's doing it, she moves to settle on the log across from him. "Amani--"

"No, I'm not sure I'm ready for your excuses and your platitudes yet. I mean, thanks for trying, but I'm not in a good place mentally to deal with that right now. We've been able to stay relatively hidden out here, but with all those people congregating like they've been, we're gonna need to move at some point."

"Why do you keep going back to the grave?"

"Burying the bloody bandages. Did you know that moss really is absorbent for that kind of thing? But we're running out of that, too. We have to forage farther and farther for that sort of thing."

"We can take care of you, get you the medical care you need. Damien and Simone would be thrilled to see you."

"I'm not sure I'm ready for that yet either," he finally says.

"What do you need? I can have supplies brought to you."

"Why are you being so nice all of a sudden? You must think I'm stupid to believe that you're being sincere."

She shakes her head. "I don't think that at all. Things have…" she trails off, unsure of what to say. "Things have changed for all of us. It's hard to explain."

"Take your time," he says, voice oddly softening from its previous defensive snark. "I've got a lifetime to go."


End file.
